Bob Anderson; fought as Vader in two films

LONDON - Bob Anderson, 89, a former Olympic swordsman who staged fights for films including the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings series, died early Sunday at a hospital, the British Academy of Fencing said Monday.

In this Sept 2009 photo made available by Leon Hill, Bob Anderson attends the diamond jubilee celebrations of the British Academy of Fencing in Warwick, England. The Olympic fencer and movie sword master appeared in some of film's most famous dueling scenes _ though few viewers knew it. Anderson who worked with actors from Errol Flynn to Antonio Banderas during five decades as a sword master, fight director and stunt performer, including light saber action scenes in two Star Wars movies, died early New Year's Day at an English hospital, it was announced Monday Jan. 2 2012. (AP Photo/ Leon Hill)Read moreAP

by By Jill Lawless, Associated Press, Inquirer

Published Jan. 3, 2012, 3:01 a.m. ET

LONDON - Bob Anderson, 89, a former Olympic swordsman who staged fights for films including the

Star Wars

and

Lord of the Rings

series, died early Sunday at a hospital, the British Academy of Fencing said Monday.

Mr. Anderson donned Darth Vader's black helmet and fought light saber battles in two of the three original Star Wars films, The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi. The villainous character was typically played by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones, and Mr. Anderson's role was not initially publicized.

But Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, said in a 1983 interview that "Bob Anderson was the man who actually did Vader's fighting."

"It was always supposed to be a secret, but I finally told [director] George [Lucas] I didn't think it was fair anymore," Hamill told Starlog magazine. "Bob worked so bloody hard that he deserves some recognition."

Robert James Gilbert Anderson was born in Hampshire, England, in 1922. He served in the Royal Marines during World War II and represented Britain in fencing at the 1952 Olympics and the 1950 and 1953 world championships.

His first film work was staging fights and coaching Errol Flynn for the swashbuckler The Master of Ballantrae in 1952.

He became one of the industry's most sought-after sword masters, working on movies including the James Bond adventures From Russia With Love and Die Another Day; The Princess Bride; and The Legend of Zorro.